Galleries
Theater
activARTE
Garden
Shop
Research
Conservation

Galleries

Designed in accordance with the strictest and most modern standards of contemporary museum design, the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR) is composed of 130,000 square feet of modern spaces.
The Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (MAPR) has 24 exhibition galleries distributed between the historical building in the west wing and the addition in the east wing.

The historic building serves as the main entrance to the Museum and is custodian of the MAPR permanent collection.  The west wing of the MAPR is a neoclassic structure built and designed by the architect William H. Shimmelphening in 1920.  This structure originally housed 1 of the 13 buildings of the Municipal Hospital, now transformed as a museum, and its conservation is part of an effort to preserve Puerto Rican art for the enjoyment of future generations.  This historic building serves as the main entrance to the Museum, while housing, in 21 exhibition galleries, the permanent exhibition of the MAPR, with artworks from the 17th century to the present, which combines works from the collection, and others that belong to public and private collections.

The east wing, designed by Puerto Rican architects Otto Reyes and Luis Gutiérrez, is composed of a five-story modern structure that harmoniously integrates the historic building. This wing also has a Grand Hall, with a height equivalent to three stories, from which the visitor can access the Raúl Juliá – Banco Popular Theater, the shop, the restaurant, and the gardens. An integral part of the Grand Hall is a stained glass window by Puerto Rican artist Eric Tabales, entitled Taino Sun Rising, fashioned from oxidized glass through which the natural light from outside softly illuminates the whole area. Distributed throughout the East Wing are the Conservation Division, storage spaces and activARTE Gallery, as well as the administrative offices.

With the latest in temperature control, lighting, telecommunications and security technology, MAPR boasts a climate-controlled system that guarantees a certain level of relative humidity, assuring the preservation and conservation of its collections, as well as all of the works entrusted in its care.

Banner Facilities Theater

Theater

The Raúl Juliá – Banco Popular Theater is equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment, (high fidelity sound, a lighting system ideal for artistic presentations and a telecommunication antenna for video conferences). It also offers seating for 400 people. The theater is dedicated to the memory of the deceased Puerto Rican actor and Oscar winner, Raúl Juliá. 

An impressive stage curtain, hand-stitched using the traditional mundillo technique, serves as the main stage curtain for the theater. This piece, entitled Mundillo nuestro, is a work of art designed by artist Antonio Martorell and assembled by Puerto Rican women weavers: Lucy Betancourt, Asunción Bayó, Hilda Cruz, Norma Figueroa, Hilda Millán and Julita Santiago, of Encajes, Inc.  Mundillo nuestro, made from the union of five pieces of cloth measuring 5’ x 15’, covers an area of 30’ x 15’, depicting two hands projected over the image of a map of the world divided in symmetric shapes around a central focal point.

In the modern theater lobby, you can see the work Horizonte, a mural on canvas by artist Carmelo Sobrino.
Designed to encourage the development of all the scenic and educational expressions of the attending community, The Raúl Juliá – Banco Popular Theater is available for rental through the MAPR Sales and Special Events Division.

activARTE – Ángel Ramos Foundation Gallery

The activARTE Ángel Ramos Foundation Gallery, designed by the famous architect Stanley Tigerman, was created with funds provided by the Ángel Ramos Foundation.  The purpose of activARTE Gallery is to educate and encourage the appreciation for Puertorrican visual arts in children in an entertaining manner.

Inaugurated on September 6, 2001 and renovated in 2012, activARTE Gallery is an interactive space in the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico that serves as a laboratory offering multisensory learning experiences to visitors of all ages. Its mission is to foster awareness and creativity, and to reaffirm Puerto Rican and universal cultural values, so that visitors may interpret and enjoy art in a participatory format. 

The main goals of activARTE Ángel Ramos Foundation Gallery are:

  • Develop aesthetic sensibility and the interest, appreciation, and study of the visual arts
  • Reaffirm Puerto Rican cultural values
  • Acknowledge and cater to the interests of diverse audiences
  • Stimulate the interest and the study of fine arts in Puerto Rico
  • Serve as a multisensory laboratory where visual arts are linked with other languages and concepts of knowledge
  • Act as a hub of educational programs for preschool children, families, and middle and high school students  

Visitors can explore the principles and elements of art, the different media, and the connections between art and other disciplines. In an area with digital equipment, they can explore the contents of the works of art and make connections with the environment and themselves. The new exhibition, titled Graphós: Art as a Language, presents carefully selected works aimed at sparking an interest in, appreciation for, and the study of the arts.

Botanical Sculpture Garden

Approximately 2.5 acres make up the Sculpture Botanical Garden of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, which incorporates into its design a representative sample of the national flora.

Close to 365 trees from 26 species, mostly autochthonous, are integrated to an ample variety of over 106,000 plants, among which there can be found bushes, vines, flowers and creeping plants of great diversity and color.

A walkway runs through the garden and interlinks the different environments: a forest of native trees, a rain forest, a bamboo forest, and a prairie.  These environments compliment a beautiful area where 13 sculptures are located in harmony with the scenery.  Three gazebos, destined as locations of rest and contemplation compliment the landscape.

In the center of the garden and opposing the east wing, a pond with an organic design can be seen, including its three waterfalls.  This pond contains 50,000 gallons of water and is home to Koi fishes and aquatic plants.  Between the pond and the entrance to the east wing and Eric Tabales’ stained glass, there is a terrace with a natural amphitheater, where open-air concerts and events take place.

Banner Facilities Shop

Shop

Books, fine Puerto Rican crafts, decorative items and reproductions of works from the Museum collections, among other items, are available in the MAPR Store, located on the first floor of the east wing.

An extensive selection of books on art, architecture, design, and other similar themes, along with the service of corporate gifts, and gift cards for the purchase of museum goods, complements the Store’s offerings.

Shop Hours

Temporary closed

 

For additional information:

Ileana Martin
Shop, Ticket Sales and Information Center Manager
Tel.: 787-977-6277 ext.2239, 2291
 

Banner Facilities Research

MAPR Research Center

Located in the first floor of the East Wing, the MAPR Research Center houses computers with Internet access as well as multimedia and interactive resources in electronic and digital format.  The Center also has a space for reading and studying bibliographical resources, plus WiFi Internet connection for those who wish to use their own laptops.  Visit the section MAPR Research Center for more information.

Conservation Division

The Conservation Division, under the Exhibits and Collections Department of the MAPR, occupies a space of approximately 3,600 square feet divided into three workshops dedicated to the conservation and restoration of paintings, works on paper, and sculpture.  There are areas for varnish application, reintegration of color, photographic documentation, and chemical analysis.  The laboratory is equipped with the technology needed for analysis of the artwork’s condition, diagnosis of any problems, and application of any needed treatments.

The Conservation Division provides professional services to collectors, artists, and cultural institutions that have works of art needing evaluation, analysis and / or conservation. These works of art can be evaluated in situ or in the Museum’s conservation laboratory.  No treatment will be given without prior analysis of the artwork by conservation staff. 

To schedule an appointment, call 787-977-6277 ext. 2208, 2277 or email: srivera@mapr.org, infoconservacion@mapr.org